Bowl day

Today was bowl day - only bowls, no getting sidetracked by any joined furniture on the bench next door!

Now, what day is it tomorrow? Joined furniture day!

New gouges and bowls

So, this oak tree came down in Dartington this spring, when a sudden wind blew from the north. I bought the butt and arranged to take away a smaller oak that it had damaged nearby. I was hoping for some riveable material but the tree was just too twisted. So out with the mill and some 16' boards for laying up.

It's neighbour looked more promising...

....but when halved...

...was also a bit twisty.

Made a new sash for a georgian house at the bottom of Totnes high street.

Finished the woodshed for customers in Ashburton.

I decided that the oak I had got from Dartington was too twisted, so I have decided to carve bowls with it. With so many 'bowl blanks',I am roughing them out with a chainsaw to get them processed before they split.

And then swapping over to my axes and new Karlsson gouges to take them down further.

I have had this Henry Taylor flat carving adze for about seven years now, but found no use for it. It has come into a lot of use this week, for the long curves of the boat bowl and surprisingly effective at hollowing out (after a few kerfs with the chainsaw).

I need to make a bowl horse, but for now, because I am making several similar bowls at the same time, I can use one to hold another.